Scenes from today’s FEI General Assembly meeting in Uruguay. Photo via FEI.
The FEI General Assembly Meeting kicked into high gear today in Montevideo, Uruguay, with elections taking place for a variety of different positions, as well voting for 2018 rule change proposals.
Click here for a full rundown of the day’s proceedings on the FEI blog, and read on for key changes that impact eventing.
Elections
David O’Connor was elected Chair of the FEI Eventing Committee for a four-year term (2017-2021), defeating Alec Lochore in the election and replacing Giuseppe della Chiesa. Click here to read through David’s program.
Giuseppe Della Chiesa, who finished an eight-year term at the General Assembly, was appointed as an Honorary Bureau Member.
Eventing Rule Changes
The General Assembly approved the 2018 rule change modifications for eventing. Key changes include the approval of the new proposed competition structure for implementation in 2019. The new 1.05-meter level was approved and will be introduced in 2018 and called Introductory.
Starting in 2019, all of the current star levels will shift up and and be classified as Long or Short, as opposed to CCI or CIC. The current CCI4* events will be renamed CCI5* Major in 2019.
The new levels/categorizations are explained in this chart via the FEI:
“The new competition structure has adapted to the current global level of the sport, supporting the implementation of the Olympic strategy. It is also part of the continued effort to address risk management and the cost effectiveness of the discipline together with encouraging the development of the number of nations participating in eventing.”
The dressage coefficient will also be removed effective Jan. 1, 2018, “to address risk management issues through rebalancing the importance of cross country skills.”
This will change the method of calculating dressage scores in eventing. Previously, scores were calculated by taking the percentage score, subtracting from 100 and multiplying by a coefficient of 1.5, with the resulting figure rounded to one decimal digit. Starting Jan. 1, scores will no longer be multiplied by a coefficient of 1.5.
Removing the coefficient aligns with the FEI Eventing Committee’s vision to eventually transition to positive scoring in eventing. Two positive scoring proposals will be reviewed in 2018 for implementation at a later date.
Rule changes for arena eventing were also approved. Organizing committees can now apply to hold the competition through the FEI system, or the National Federation will be responsible for the enforcement of minimum compulsory requirements.
Click here to view the full list of proposed eventing rule changes for 2018. The new rulebook will be available at this link before the end of the year.
Other points of interest
Samorin Equestrian Centre in Slovakia decided not to sign the host agreement for the 2022 World Equestrian Games and subsequently withdrawn its bid. The FEI Bureau has decided to re-open the bidding process for the 2022 Games.
The Olympic Test Event is provisionally scheduled for Aug. 10-12, 2019, with dressage and show jumping at Baji Koen and cross country at Sea Forest.
The number of women on FEI committees in 2017 has increased to 33% from 32% in 2016 and 28% in 2015.
FEI courses for farriers and grooms are in the process of being organized across the world, including in Haiti, Madagascar and Sri Lanka.
Sport for All projects, which promote social integration for underprivileged youth through equestrian sports, are taking place in Cambodia, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, Uruguay, Zambia and Tunisia.
Click here for a full summary of today’s meeting.
